The mount Bego region is almost known for its rock-art with some impressive engraved rocks, but the site is also one of the earliest occupation of mountains datied to the early Neolithic of (ca. -5300 BC)

The rock-art site

The site is divided into 7 sectors. Main ones are Les Merveilles sector and Fontanalba sector

sectors nb.rocks
Les Merveilles 2542
Fontanalba 1704
Valaurette 34
Sainte-Marie 16
Col du Sabion 8
Valmasque 6
Gordolasque 1
Vei del Bouc 1
TOTAL 4312

The entire site is about 900 ha, with the large majority of engraved rocks in the France territory (Les Merveilles sector, Fontanalba sector, etc. )but also a sector in between France and Italy (Col du Sabion sector) and a rock in Italy (Vei del Bouc sector)

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Rocks altitudes

Engravings are displayed on rocks between ~1990 m to ~2700

Altitudes of the rocks with the names of the impressive ones

The engravings

There is two main techniques with only a narrow regsitry shared

Pecked engravings

Themes

Themes counts

There’s about 20,000 figuratives pecked engravings

The main common engravings are, from large, horned figures engraved

Themes altitudes

Horned figures and yokes

Horned figures

Anthropomorph

Figures à franges

Geometric

Topographic figures

Impressive rocks

The so-called impressive rocks are often those where anthropomorphs are engraved; while their represent only a small part of all figurative engravings.

sectors nom
Les Merveilles Roche de la grande déesse
Les Merveilles Roche de l’anthropomorphe aux bras en zigzag
Les Merveilles Roche de l’Autel
Les Merveilles Stèle du Chef de Tribu

Sectors and Zones

Les Merveilles sector

This is really important..

Zones

Zone 1

This is the lowest important concentration of engravings in the Merveilles sector

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Zone 1 is characterised by numerous figures à franges

Zone 4
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The most known rocks are the HBZZ

Roche de l’Homme aux bras en zigzag (Z4G3R16D

In the Arpette area lies the Roche de l’Homme aux bras en zigzag

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The rocks main figure is an anthropomorph with arms in zigzag.

Zone 7

The zone 7 covers the Vallée des Merveilles area

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The most known rocks are the Stèle du Chef de Tribu, the Roche du Christ and the Paroi Vitrifiée

*Roche du Christ (Z7G1R4){#Z7G1R4}

This anthropomorph is quite famous

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Stèle du Chef de Tribu (Z7G1R8)

In the vallées de Merveilles lies the unique stelae of the site, the so-called Stèle du Chef de Tribu

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*Paroi Vitrifiée (Z7G1R17){#Z7G1R17}

This very large vertical pared is also the entrance of the Vallée des Merveilles

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Only two pecked daggers at the bottom of the pared. Most of engravings are linear ones made with incisions

Zone 11
Roche de l’Autel (Z11G0R1)

This is the rock with the more density of engravings in the whole site

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Zone 12
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Roche de la grande déesse ()

This is the highest rock, but also the largest engraving of Les Merveilles sector

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Fontanalba sector

This is really important..

Valaurette sector

Zone 13

The Zone 13 (ie, the Valaurette sector) shows a distinctive profile with almost only topographic figure

Sainte-Marie sector

Valmasque sector

Col du Sabion sector

Gordolasque sector

It is equivalent to the zone 23 It has a unique engraved rock discovered by J. Begin.

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Vei del Bouc sector

The early occupations

Gias del Ciari